Ski binding



- July 23, 1940. J. E. BARIEAU SKI BINDING 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR JEBaJ'ieau Filed June 25, 1938 July. 23, 1940. J. E. BARIEAU SKI BINDING Filed June 25, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 119.5011 ea w QM QQA ATTORNEY Patented July 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

6 Claims.

This invention relates in general to improvements in ski bindings and in particular is directed to an improved heel strap assembly. At present, standard type heel strap assemblies comprise leather straps and buckle units which extend from the ski boot heel to the toe irons, or include metal cables which extend from the heel alongside the ski to a securing device ahead of the toe irons. The disadvantage of such standard types is that the tough leather straps are difiicult to handle in snow when the hands are cold, and further the straps tend to stretch when wet, and must then be readjusted. The cable type tends to impede forward progress in certain snows as the cables intermediate their ends are disposed alongside the ski.

It is therefore the principal object of my invention to provide an improved heel strap assembly which omits the usual leather straps or cables, as above, and yet provides for ready and proper adjustment to a ski boot (a necessity where skis are rented), and adequate tension on the heel to maintain the toe of the boot firmly engaged in the toe irons without binding the bot or limiting vertical flexing of the boot sole, but preventing lateral displacement of the boot.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved heel strap assembly arranged so that when used with a conventional ski boot, the usual ankle strap is omitted. For other types of boots, provision is made for the use of ankle straps.

It is also my object to produce an improved ski binding which can be used successfully by.

skiers when engaged in downhill or slalom running, as well as when jumping.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the preferred form of the device on a ski and attached to a ski boot.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of such preferred form of the device.

Figure 3 is a cross-section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the rear portion of the device as arranged for use when ski jumping.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a modified form of the device.

Referring now more particularly to the char acters of reference on the drawings, and particularly at present to the preferred form of the device, as shown in Figs. 1-5 inclusive, the nuventional toe irons 3 to a point ahead thereof.

Such stray is hereinafter defined as the sole strap, and may be slidably disposed over the bottom plates 4 of the toe irons, or slidably disposed therebeneath by shimming up said plates.

At its rear end the sole strap l is provided with aboot heel engaging seat which comprises a bottom plate 5 and a substantially semi-circular, forwardly facing back plate 6, the upper edge of the back plate being bent downward and thence inward to form a substantially semi-circular shoulder 1 above the bottom plate. A slotted ear 8 is mounted on the back in upstand ing relation and receives the ankle strapif such is used.

Immediately forward of toe irons 3 the ski is provided with a guide 9 through which the sole strap slidably projects, said guide being secured to the ski by screws ID. A pair of other securing screws II are disposed on the ski a short distance ahead of the normal position of the heel seat whereby another guide I2, having slotted openings, may be engaged therewith and over the strap if desired and for the purpose hereinafter described.

A sleeve I3 surrounds the sole strap ahead of the guide 9 and is provided with an upstanding Wing bolt M which is threaded through a boss [5 rigid with the top of the sleeve. A clamping finger l6 extends from boss l5 between the inner end of bolt [4 and the sole strap. By means of such arrangement, the passage of the sleeve lengthwise of the sole strap may be adjusted and then the sleeve clamped with said sole strap.

A tensioning unit for the sole strap comprises a base member ll secured to the ski ahead'of clamping sleeve l3 and includes edge guide elements I8-for the sole strap. A pair of ears H! are formed with and upstand from base I! in spaced relation; there being a swinging yoke 20 pivoted at one end between said ears adjacent the upper ends thereof. At its outer end, the yoke includes a finger piece 2|. A cross pin 22 is fixed between the arms of the yoke intermediate their ends, and a tension spring 23 is connected between said cross pin 22 and the free and upstanding end of the clamping finger I6 as at 24. The yoke is so arranged that when thrown forward and down against the ski, pin

22 lies in a plane below the pivot point P of said yoke whereby spring 23 will be moved downward past dead center and cannot release said yoke. A constant forward pressure is thus exerted on the sole strap.

In use, the toe of a ski boot B is engaged with toe irons 3 as usual. The heel H of the boot is then placed in the seat and with the usual heel ledge L engaged beneath shoulder 1 which prevents upward movement of the heel relative to the seat. Thereafter with yoke 20 released from a forward or locked position, the sole strap is slid forward as far as possible by hand, and clamping sleeve I3 slid as far back as possible against the tension of the spring, and clamped in place. The yoke is then thrown-forward to a locked position which results in adequate tension on spring 23 to maintain the heel in the seat without the need of an ankle strap which only need be used when the boot has no heel ledge.

With the device so attached to a boot, the boot can be raised at the heel along with the heel seat and adjacent a sole strap portion with ease due to the flexibility of said sole strap, but no lateral movement occurs due to the inherent rigidity of said strap in a lateral plane. The device can be quickly attached or-detached, and yet when in use provides an effective and safe ski binding.

For ski jumping, etc., when the heel seat should not rise from the. ski, guide 82 is secured on screws H and over the strap adjacent the heel seat which prevents upward movement of the heel seat.

In the modified formof the device, as shown in Fig. 6, the heel seat is replaced by a tension spring 25 which engages about heel H from the back above ledge L, such spring 25 being connected at its ends with short flexible cables 26 which are secured by an attaching unit 21, of

suitable construction, on the rear end of the sole strap la a short distance ahead of said heel. The spring 23 of the preferred form is now replaced by links 28 which extend from the arms of yoke 28a ahead of their pivots to the clamping sleeve ltd. This modified form of the device is used in the same manner as the preferred form, and the necessary tension is provided by spring 25,which is loaded when the yoke 23a is swung forward to a locked position. I

While my improved heel strap assembly is shown and described as used in connection with a ski including toe irons, any other usual type of toe fastenings such as toe straps may be employed. I

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth. in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and useful and desire .to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A heel strap assembly for a, ski having toe fastenings, said assembly comprising a fiexible metallic strap adapted to be disposed flat on top the ski and to extend lengthwise beyond the fastenings in both directions, a heel seat fixed on the rear end of the strap, said heel seat including an upstanding and arcuate back plate and an arcruate shoulder formed about the inner face of said back plate intermediate the upper and lower edges thereof, the shoulder being adapted to engage over theheel ledge of a ski boot, and a strap tensioning un'it connected with the forward portion of the strap ahead of the tgie fastenings and adapted to be fixed on the s 2. An assembly as in claim 1 in which said heel seat shoulder comprises a downwardly and thence inwardly bent portion of the arcuate back plate.

3. A heel strap assembly for a ski having toe fastenings, said assembly comprising a flexible metallic strap adapted to be disposed flat on top the ski and to extend lengthwise beyond the fastenings in both directions, a heel seat fixed on the rear end of the strap, means to prevent relatively separating movement of the heel seat and a boot heel therein, means applied to the strap ahead of the toe fastenings to tighten the same, a strap hold down guide adapted to be mounted on a ski andto cooperate with the strap adjacent the. toe fastenings, and another strap hold down guide arranged for detachable engagement with the strap adjacent the heel seat.

i. A heel strap assembly for a ski having toe fastenings, said assembly comprising a flexible metallic strap adapted to be disposed flat on top the ski and to extend rearward from the toe fastenings, a heel'seat fixed on the rear end of he strap, means'to prevent relative separating movement of the heel seat and boot heel therein, means applied to the strap to tension the same, a strap hold down element adapted to be mounted on the ski and to cooperate with the strap adjacent the toe fastenings, and another strap hold down guide arranged for detachable engagement with the strap adjacent the heel sea 5. A heel strap assembly for a ski having toe fastenings, said assembly comprising a resilient metallic strap adapted to be disposed fiat on top the ski and. extend beyond the fastenings in both directions, a heel engaging member mounted on the strap adjacent its rear end, a strap hold down guide mounted on the ski and engaging the strap adjacent the toe fastenings, another strap hold down guide mounted on the ski and engaging the strap ahead of and spaced from said first named guide, a clamping .unit slidable on the portion of the strap intermediate said guides, the unit including means for adjustable clamping engagement with said strap portion at any point in the length thereof, a tensioning unit mounted-on the ski ahead of said strap portion and a connecting element between the clamping unit and tensioning unit.

6. A heel strap assembly for a ski having toe fastenings, said assembly comprising a resilient metallic strap adapted to be disposed flat on top the ski and extend beyond the fasteningsin both directions, a heel engaging membermounted on the strap adjacent its rear end, a pair of strap hold down guides spaced lengthwise of the strap and disposed so that the rearmost. guide is adjacent but ahead of the toe fastenings, and means applied to the strap between the guides and arranged to tension said strap.

JEROME E. BARIEAU. 

